The Making Of Wonderland

Thursday August 18, 2016POSTED BY: Lola Guerrero

The namesake pattern for our Fall 2016 collection, Wonderland, was created in collaboration with Brooklyn-based artist Olivia Wendel. This contemporary toile illustrates the intersection of myth and memory. It depicts a fantastical interpretation of nature, where human objects of the past conjure up memories of lost treasures. The Pollack Studio interpreted the unique painted quality of Wendel's storytelling through individual stitches on a linen ground, creating an ultimately usable yet dynamic fabric. Available in two colorways, 'Mad Hatter' and 'Midnight in the Garden', each one depicts the scene at a very distinct time of day.

So, how did it happen? "The process came about out of a desire to create artwork that was different from the hand that we have in the Pollack Studio" says Chase. "We wanted to create a world that was both bizarre and remarkable, one that would be conceived with an unrestrained imagination. Almost immediately, we thought of Olivia Wendel, whose work personified the story that we wanted to tell". The process was extensive, as always, and involved not only Olivia and the Pollack Studio but a close collaboration with our fantastic mills, too.

When Olivia works, she does not outline a plan and sketch out her ideas with a pencil, she simply lets her imagination and her hand go on the paper.

Once the paintings were complete, the Pollack Studio utilized our knowledge of embroidery and the capabilities of the mill to translate the paintings into a finished cloth. Chase scanned the artworks into the computer and began honing Olivia's exuberance to create the final repeat and pattern. She then determined the best stitches, yarns and ground cloth and sent the final outline off to the mill in India.

Once the design and quality were finalized, Chase began to work on color. She found color inspiration everywhere, from traditional toiles and hand painted wallpaper, to floral arrangements and pictures of summer garden parties.

To see more of Olivia's artwork, you can visit her website, where you will also find her recently launched collection of 100% silk and wool scarves produced in Como, Italy. These incredibly stunning designs were all hand painted in her design studio in Brooklyn, NY.

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